2015 Harley-Davidson FLHXS Street Glide Special Review

When it comes to stripped-down bagger style, highway comfort, modern technology and an unruly attitude, this is a state of the art motorcycle…

The 2015 Street Glide® Special takes the hot-rod bagger formula a little further, with a Gloss Black inner fairing, Reflex™ Linked Brakes with ABS, the Boom!™ Box 6.5 GT infotainment system and CVO™ model style hand-adjustable lowered rear suspension as standard equipment. Powered by the High Output Twin Cam 103™ engine and featuring a Batwing fairing with Splitstream vent to reduce rider head buffeting, the Street Glide® Special is truly loaded bagger.

The innovative Harley-Davidson® Touring chassis, based on a single-spar, rigid backbone frame and a stout swingarm developed to withstand the demands of long-haul touring riders and today’s more-powerful engines.

Here are some of the innovations Project RUSHMORE led to: the Reflex™ Linked Brakes with ABS, the Daymaker™ LED headlamps and fog lamps, brighter Tour-Pak® lighting, brighter turn signals, brighter brake lights, and a steering head with stiffer front forks. Locked-up tires are now history even when there’s wet pavement. We’ve made it feel even better to lean your way through a turn. Now you can see better. And we’ve made you more conspicuous to the cage-driving public. Because one thing we all agree on is this: bikes that work better make riders who ride better. Take a ride. See how good you can be.

H-D® Smart Security System (Optional)

The factory-installed next-generation security system features a hands-free fob that automatically arms and disarms the vehicle’s electronic security functions as you approach and walk away from the bike. Stick the fob on your ignition key ring and let it do all the work. It’s this attention to detail and security that make Harley-Davidson® motorcycles unique.

Hydraulic-Adjustable Suspension

With a hydraulic-adjustable suspension that comes standard, you can dial in your ride to accommodate heavier or lighter payloads, battle unexpected road conditions or simply set it to how you like to roll. The lighter the load, the softer you can go by decreasing the hydraulic pressure a bit, or increase the Hydraulic pressure for a more firm ride. It’s all about rider and passenger comfort and setting your bike to fit your taste—the easy way.

Brembo® Brakes

Confidence. Control. High-performance dual disc Brembo® brakes offer consistent stopping power at all speeds. The 4-piston front and rear caliper with dual front rotor brake system is state of the art and top of the line. It’s just another way The Motor Company puts a high level of detail into their bikes to give you peace of mind throughout your journey.

Reflex™ Linked Brakes with Anti-lock Braking System

No doubt about it, there are times when you need to haul things down in a hurry. And you don’t get to pick those times. Or decide whether or not they occur when you’re on a flat, smooth, dry, perfect stretch of pavement. That’s why our touring models feature the Reflex™ Linked Brakes with ABS. ABS turns a locked-up front wheel or a rear wheel skid into a relic from riding’s history. And the front and rear brakes are electronically linked to provide exactly the right amount of brake to each tire no matter what the road condition is. No matter how good you are, this will make you a better rider.

Ergonomically Designed Hand Controls

It’s hard to enjoy the ride or keep your eyes focused on what’s coming down the road when you’re fussing and bothering with the switches on your handlebar. So when we built the Project RUSHMORE motorcycles, we worked over the hand controls on our touring bikes with as much passion as we worked over our engine. We made the shape more ergonomic and located and angled them to fall right under your thumbs. We added left-hand cruise for easy activation, toggle switches to control infotainment functions, and an easily locatable trigger switch to control and scan through functional readouts. And we improved the feel to give you a confidence-inspiring click at every push of a button. Even the dash panel switch got better. And it’s all prewired for parts and accessories, which even lets you customize with less fuss and bother.

Steering Head and Front Forks

Whether it’s a big sweeping curve or a set of tight turns, a Project RUSHMORE motorcycle feels rock-solid in the corners. We stiffened up the front end, increased the fork diameter to 49mm (an increase of 18 percent) and retuned the damping for a smoother ride. The responsiveness is dialed in.

Dunlop® Multi-Tread™ Tires

The 180mm back tire is engineered to do more than fill out the rear fender and put a bigger patch of rubber on the road. Dunlop® Multi-Tread™ technology uses harder compounds at the center and softer on the sides for a tire that still knows how to knuckle down on corners. Perfect for making this bike agile on every curvy stretch of road. And the way it feels going through an abrupt off-camber turn will put a grin on your face that’ll last to the next state line.

Dual Halogen Headlight

When the sun goes low, the amount of road you have your eyes trained on stays high. Boasting a higher quality of light than previous models courtesy of a darkness-defying 986 lumens, the dual halogen headlight ensures you’ll have no trouble seeing everything out there that needs to be seen.

Six-Speed Cruise Drive® Transmission

You want a ride that rumbles—not begs for mercy—when you lean on it a little. The Six-Speed Cruise Drive® transmission provides smooth, quiet shifting and reduces engine speed on the highway, so you get a better match between engine turnover and road speed. And the Isolated Drive System makes acceleration flow in a smooth, steady stream from your wrist right down to the pavement. It’s a rare ride when a bike responds like this, and a low growl goes a long way when you’re opening up the road ahead.

Twin Cam 103™ Engine Heritage

The knowledge of what makes an engine truly move a rider runs deep at The Motor Company, and it was put to good use when we created the Twin Cam 103™ engine. We sweated bullets perfecting every cubic inch, pushing design and technology forward. And we did it all without compromising one bit of Harley-Davidson’s unique styling. Evolved, yet carrying on the legacy of the Flathead, Knucklehead, Panhead, Shovelhead, Evolution® and Twin Cam 88® and Twin Cam 96® engines that came before. The performance and durability are a direct result of the untold miles logged on the V-Twin since 1909 and the proud heritage that comes from a century’s worth of commitment to life on two wheels.

Twin Cam 103™ Engine Innovation

Fire up the Twin Cam 103™ engine and feel the low-end torque unleashed. Thanks to the lightweight piston design, delivery of the added power is more refined than ever. Then put your foot on the shifter and feel how the engine and Six-Speed Cruise Drive® transmission were designed to work together. Six speeds. A strong driveline and strong internal parts. Low routine maintenance. And a low cruising rpm couldn’t feel better.

Project RUSHMORE – Engine

As every rider knows, the engine is at the heart of the experience of riding a motorcycle. The amount of torque and horsepower it delivers over the RPM range is in direct proportion to the feeling it gives you when you roll on the throttle. We know what riders want from a motorcycle engine because we’ve been building them for 110 years. Project RUSHMORE gave us the opportunity to dial it in just right. We conducted thousands of road tests with real riders giving us feedback to build the next iteration of the legendary Harley-Davidson® engine. The consensus was: We want more. More low-end torque, more passing power, more perfection in the tone of the exhaust note, more of the feeling we ride a motorcycle for. And last year, we unveiled the engines that deliver it. This is the next level of Harley-Davidson® V-Twin engine. And it proves, once and for all, the customer is always right.

High Output Twin Cam 103™ Engine

Asking riders if they’d like more passing power is like asking them “Would you like more beer in the pitcher?” when they’ve reached their final destination at the end of a long, dusty ride. Everybody wants it, and the High Output Twin Cam 103™ engine is 103 cubic inches of Harley-Davidson V-Twin you can rely on to deliver it. The airbox delivers increased intake airflow and the cam optimizes phase and duration. The result: better low-end torque and faster 60 to 80 mph 5th gear roll-on to get you around that 18-wheeler. In the tradition of the Flathead, Knucklehead, Panhead, Shovelhead, Evolution® Twin Cam 88® and Twin Cam 96™ engines that came before it, the High Output Twin Cam 103™ engine is raising the bar for the feeling an engine delivers to the rider. There’s a reason we’re called the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Once you send some fuel to this engine, you’ll have no doubt whose it is.

Boom!™ Box 6.5GT Radio

Let’s start with this. The Boom!™ Box 6.5GT Radio puts out 75 watts per channel at 1% distortion and features a factory-tuned, optimized equalizer that pumps out more power and can be played louder while maintaining the clarity of your sound. And the speed tuning system delivers more than just volume changes at different speeds. It changes the level of bass and treble to dial in the best sound, whether you’re running at a stately pace down the strip or going hell for leather down an open stretch of road. How do you like the sound of a Harley® motorcycle?

6.5-inch Full Color Touch Screen Display

This 6.5-inch full-color touch screen puts all your information in front of you bigger than ever. Modern graphics, colors you can dial in, and auto and manual dim. Designed to sit stylishly inside your fairing, it takes screen technology to an eye-popping level of Harley-Davidson functionality. This is more than you expect, but when you’re going all the way, it’s everything you deserve.

Jukebox with USB Port for iPod/iPhone

The Jukebox opens with one touch of a button and includes a USB connection which accepts your iPhone, iTouch, non-iPod imitators, and SD card and other USB compatible devices. Pop it open, plug in and your device becomes a part of your motorcycle. Ready to be operated by voice command or hand controls.

Voice Recognition, Bluetooth

The Boom!™ Box 6.5GT gives you voice recognition for hands-free operation of your mobile phone, navigation system and music. It’s also Bluetooth capable. Whatever you want, just say the word. Whether it’s directions to the next gas station, a call back to the office you’re not at today or a song that fits the stretch of road you’re on, it’ll be served up without missing a beat.

Ready For Your Upgrades

The Boom!™ Box 6.5GT was built with your personal touches in mind. You can integrate P & A satellite radio right into the vehicle radio with no external mounting and control it through the hand controls. Additional satellite services such as weather and traffic can be added and overplayed on the GPS maps. You can even download map upgrades and additional functions. The only question is, how far do you want to go?

We dialed in the comfort of our machines the hard way: over thousands of miles in all kinds of riding conditions on every kind of street, road and highway ever laid down in pavement. Experienced riders putting in long hours in the saddle and giving us feedback on every aspect that contributes to comfort on the road. Airflow, heat management, seat textures, legroom and hand controls all went under the hard microscope of the road and got tested and re-tested by real riders and worked and re-worked by us until we were satisfied we had built the most comfortable machines on the road. We all want to go farther, and when you’re more comfortable in the saddle, you can.

Wide Set Handlebar

Classic style and maximum comfort. That’s the perfect balance of the wide set handlebars that come standard on the Street Glide® Special model. They’re designed to keep you comfortably propped in a commanding position while making sure your neck muscles stay calm and relaxed mile after mile, state after state. Durable stainless steel ensures the structural rigidity you expect from a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle with the deep, lustrous finish you desire.

Standard Cruise Control

Installing cruise control is standard operating procedure on the touring models because riding long stretches of unbroken highway is standard operating procedure among touring riders. Electronic throttle control means no cable cluttering up your handlebar. And the switches are placed where you can easily dial in your speed with your left thumb, give the wrist a break, and keep hauling on down the road.

Fairing Reduces Head Buffeting

This is what the science of cheating the wind involves at Harley-Davidson now: fluid mechanics, algorithms, high-speed super computers and thousands upon thousands of wind-tunnel tests with riders in the saddle telling us how it feels. And that’s before we take it out on the road for thousands of miles of real world wind gusts and every form of rain a cloud can spit out. The result: a Batwing fairing that delivers smoother air flow and reduced head buffeting. Most of it thanks to the pressure-equalizing duct on the front. It opens and closes with one touch of a button. The feeling of being in the wind just got even better.

Two-Up Seating

Modern styling and comfort that doesn’t sacrifice an ounce of nostalgic style: this ultimate Touring saddle features a sculpted seat with a deeper contoured bucket and narrower neck, to relieve pressure on your thighs, while providing more back support and comfort for a wide variety of rider sizes. And the lower seat height—26.1 inches to be exact—puts your feet closer to the road to enhance your confidence. Additionally, the leather trim and premium stitching accentuate the advanced ergonomics while giving the seat that sharp detail you only find on a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. It’s science in service of comfort, and your way to beat fatigue over the long haul.

High Output Accessory Connector

Touring means maximum comfort in all conditions and the capacity to add whatever enhances and personalizes your ride. The high output charging system provides an electrical capacity robust enough for your add-ons: heated vests, heated seats, heated handgrips, lights to showcase the engine, you name it. So if you’re hell-bent on two-wheeling it, we make sure you’ve got the juice to do it your way.

Project RUSHMORE – Convenience

If you want the ride to be truly epic, you have to sweat bullets to make the little things work exactly right. This is what Project RUSHMORE was all about. Now you have saddlebags that can be easily opened with one hand. Compartments that open with one touch. And we’ve increased the storage space on these machines without ruining the sleek, road-eating look of the bike. It all adds up to hundreds of little moments where things just click conveniently into place. Because there can be no imperfections in the quest for the perfect ride.

One-Touch Design Philosophy

Here’s the rule we laid down for every compartment cover and saddlebag lid on our touring line: if it doesn’t open with the single touch of a button or one hand, while wearing gloves, it doesn’t go on the motorcycle. Because in all our conversations with riders, we’ve never encountered a single individual who wanted to have to put something on the ground before he could store it in a saddlebag.

Saddlebag Design

Don’t let the sleek look of these saddlebags deceive you. The look is tight on the outside, but things are roomy on the inside. You want stuffability and these deliver bigger than ever. The hinges are simple and clean and the lids open with one touch of one hand. The lock is tight and integrated into the latch where you can put the key in without the danger of scratching your premium paint. Welcome to the next level of the bagger.

One-Touch Fuel Door

One button, one touch, fuel door open. Any questions?

Standard Battery Charging Harness

No question a battery charging harness is a must-have on a motorcycle. Now it’s standard. So you don’t have to waste even the ten minutes it takes to install one on some sunny Saturday when you could be riding.

Project RUSHMORE – Styling

Project RUSHMORE is the journey we set out on to take our touring motorcycles to places never imagined before – to turn all the possibilities for what a motorcycle can be now into true Milwaukee steel. We did it our way, as we’ve always done. As riders. Riding with other riders. Thousand of hours, countless road tests, millions of miles. Looking for the technology and innovations that truly make the ride better. We went over the bike fender tip to fender tip. Making it work better. Making it look sleeker. Modern. Clean. Tight. Let your eye take the journey over the machine. This is classic Harley-Davidson style and a sleek, modern look at the exact same time. At Harley-Davidson, form has always followed function. And both have always reported to emotion. Now we’re just doing it on a completely different level.

Classic Fuel Tank

Part of the unmistakable style of the Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® motorcycle is plenty of room for showing off your paint. This classically styled, bold six-gallon fuel tank doesn’t just give you a bigger canvas for premium or custom paint; it holds six gallons of go so you can eat up a lot more road between pit stops. We know fuel economy is important—but so is style. Sharp, eye-catching colors and precision-crafted Harley-Davidson® tank medallions complete the unique look of this tough bagger.

Custom Rear Taillight and Fascia

We keep the back end clean and no-nonsense with tri-line fender lights—a brilliant, unique taillight as the centerpiece—plus ground effects and a low mounted license plate with LED lighting for crisp visibility and style. This completes the custom, one-of-a-kind look.

Bullet Turn Signals

We went end to end and top to bottom to give the Harley-Davidson® Touring lineup the clean, tight, sharp, iconic look and feel that only befits the next generation of our motorcycles. The finishing touch – bullet turn signals. Sleek and modern, yet a timeless classic.

Inner Fairing Design

Put your eye to the inner fairing of the Street Glide® Special motorcycle. There’s a bigger display screen (see the whole story in the infotainment section). Check out the gauges: you’ll notice a 10 percent larger viewing area, with wider and taller numbers. The information gets bigger and better too. There’s a gear indicator for all six gears and the display area, which can now be operated by an extremely convenient trigger switch, puts more information at your fingertips. The temperature and fuel gauge are larger too. When you’re on the road, one quick glance tells you everything you need to know.

Tank and Fender Badges

This isn’t just a motorcycle. It’s a work of art, born out of passion, creativity and long days, late nights and refusing to be satisfied until every detail was perfect. When we added the signature, we did it with metal. Nothing else would be right on this masterpiece.

Gloss Black Inner Fairing

A premium gloss black finish comes standard on the Street Glide® Special motorcycle. It’s there because on a bike like this one, you can’t help but go the extra mile.

19″ Enforcer Front Wheel

There’s a 19” Enforcer front wheel leading the way on the Street Glide® Special motorcycle and a 16-inch Enforcer to match in the rear. The brake rotors have been designed to show off more of the premium custom look of the wheels. If you’re going to roll on two wheels, do it with class.

Color-Matched Fairing Skirt

It wouldn’t be a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle if we didn’t sweat the details. Note the color-matched fairing skirt on the Street Glide® Special motorcycle this year. It’s that little bit of extra attention in the design studio that gets a little bit of extra respect on the street.

Airbox and Insert

Our design philosophy can be summed up pretty simply: form follows function, but both report to emotion. This airbox is a prime example of that. Function? It lets the engine breathe better for more power, but it’s also designed to provide better airflow around the rider. Form? The design of the insert matches the tank panel. Emotion? That’s the part you feel when you look at it sitting right at the center of your V-Twin engine.

Fairing, Saddlebag and Front Fender Styling

Let’s start with this: when you see the iconic shape of a Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® Batwing fairing coming at you down the road, it leaves no question that you’re looking at a machine born in Milwaukee and built for gigantic miles of road. But this is about moving forward. How do you maintain that iconic shape, yet give it a sleeker, more progressive style? The answer is right here. This Batwing fairing gives you less head buffeting (see comfort section for the full story on that) but also the look that instantly announces “Hey, this is a HARLEY-DAVIDSON® motorcycle.” Of course, we didn’t stop at the fairing. The saddlebags got a sleeker look to match. And we worked over the front fender, too – with a clean look that’s cut back to expose more of the wheel and tire. It all comes together for a look that’s sleek and modern, yet instantly familiar. Welcome to the next generation of Harley-Davidson touring motorcycles.

Pure Harley-Davidson Styling

Feast your eyes on the Twin Cam 103™ engine and there’s no mistaking its roots. This is authentic Harley-Davidson style through and through with an attention to detail you won’t find from any other motorcycle company. Black powder-coated heads and cylinders are highlighted by machined cooling fin tips and chrome rocker covers. It’s a jewel machined out of metal. Pure. Dripping with power. From the classic edge of the cooling fins to the clean lines of cases and covers—the Twin Cam 103™ engine makes an ironclad statement about holding on to what’s right and staying true to what satisfies.

Recommended 91 octane or higher fuel (R+M)/2. Values shown are nominal. Performance may vary by country and region. Standard and optional fuel systems may vary by country. See motorcycle owner’s manual for complete details. Estimated from fuel economy tests on a sample motorcycle from the corresponding family conducted by Harley-Davidson under ideal laboratory conditions. Not all motorcycle models undergo fuel economy testing. Fuel economy and mileage may vary among motorcycle models within a family. Your mileage may vary depending on your personal riding habits, weather conditions, trip length, vehicle condition and vehicle configuration and other conditions. Break-in mileage may vary. Prices listed are the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices. Options such as color are available at additional cost. Prices exclude dealer setup, taxes, title and licensing and are subject to change. Dealer prices may vary. Measurement reflects 180 lb. (81.7 kg) operator weight. North America security system includes immobilizer; outside North America the security system includes immobilizer and siren. Standard and optional wheels may vary by country and region.

Recommended 91 octane or higher fuel (R+M)/2. Values shown are nominal. Performance may vary by country and region. Standard and optional fuel systems may vary by country. See motorcycle owner’s manual for complete details. Estimated from fuel economy tests on a sample motorcycle from the corresponding family conducted by Harley-Davidson under ideal laboratory conditions. Not all motorcycle models undergo fuel economy testing. Fuel economy and mileage may vary among motorcycle models within a family. Your mileage may vary depending on your personal riding habits, weather conditions, trip length, vehicle condition and vehicle configuration and other conditions. Break-in mileage may vary. Measurement reflects 180 lb. (81.7 kg) operator weight. North America security system includes immobilizer; outside North America the security system includes immobilizer and siren. Standard and optional wheels may vary by country and region.

Specifications and appearance are subject to change without prior notice.